


Absolute Minimum

by magneticdice



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: M/M, Valentine's Day fic challenge, eCards
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-14
Updated: 2015-02-14
Packaged: 2018-03-12 07:33:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3348869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magneticdice/pseuds/magneticdice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mickey hates Valentine’s Day but will sacrifice and do whatever it takes to make Ian happy</p>
            </blockquote>





	Absolute Minimum

**Author's Note:**

> for the Shameless Forum Valentine's Day Fic Challenge, using [this](http://www.someecards.com/valentines-day-cards/minimum-valentines-day-breakup-love-date-funny-ecard) ecard

February had rolled on in and had brought red and pink Valentine’s Day decorations with it by the boatload. The hearts and flowers in every single store window made Mickey sick, and he could attribute that feeling to the commercialized bullshit associated with the “holiday”. Nobody should want to have all that lovey-dovey crap shoved down their throat, but year after year, people lined up like cattle to pay double what it was all worth because it came in a heart-shaped box.

He’d gotten away with almost a decade of not buying into the hype associated with February 14th, from when he was a little kid until now. No one had really expected Terry Milkovich to go out and buy small treats for his son to take to school and give to his classmates, so Mickey’s teachers hadn’t blinked twice at him not having anything to contribute to the other kids. As he’d gotten older, he hadn’t exactly _dated_ anyone, and if any of his regular hook-ups had been waiting to get something from him, those bitches would have been more stupid than he’d originally given them credit for.

Then, of course, he’d met Ian… but they’d gone through almost three years of bullshit, with him being in Juvie for the first two Valentine’s Days and with Ian running off to only God knows where during the third. So, in a way, he’d been lucky for those three years… at least from an off-the-hook-for-Valentine’s-Day perspective.

Since the month had begun, he could tell that Ian was fighting the urge to say something about it. Now that they were officially _boyfriends_ , and had finally defined their relationship, he knew it would all be coming to a head sooner or later. He’d seen the way Ian looked at the boxed chocolates for just a second too long when they walked past them in the convenience store. He’d noticed how Ian casually mentioned the possibility of going out to a restaurant that wasn’t fast-food when they were deciding what to eat for dinner, but never brought it up again. Mickey wasn’t oblivious to the hints...

If Ian expected Mickey to get him some kind of sappy card, he’d be waiting a while. Mickey didn’t talk like that any other time of the year, spouting sonnets and shit to Ian, so why would he start now, just because some card company decided he had to? But the look on Gallagher’s face when Svetlana received “sweet” gifts from Nika made him start feeling the pressure.

“Who the heck gives a week’s worth of Valentine’s Day gifts anyway?” he complained one night when they were all eating Chinese in the dining room.

Svetlana was busy feeding the baby, but didn’t hesitate before defending her girlfriend.

“Just because you are cold bastard does not mean everyone else in world can’t be happy,” she jabbed. The she turned to Ian and asked, “Why you waste your time with this?” while pointing at Mickey with the baby’s plastic spoon.

Yet again, Ian kept his mouth shut and laughed it off. Nika, on the other hand, took the opportunity to move her chair closer to Svetlana’s and slid a hand up his wife’s thigh and he looked away in disgust.

Later that night, when they were getting ready for bed, Ian was still acting like everything was normal. The only tell that it wasn’t was that he hadn’t said a word since dinner. Mickey couldn’t take the awkward silence any longer.

“Let me know the absolute minimum I have to do for Valentine’s Day to avoid us breaking up,” he told Ian, going for a humorous approach.

Ian sputtered a little before he managed to speak. “I didn’t say anything…” he said innocently.

“You didn’t have to. I’m not an idiot. But just so you know, you’re out of your fucking mind if you think I’m gonna go buy you flowers, dickhead.”

And just like he’d hoped, Ian smiled at him and even laughed a little. “Awe, come on, Mick. You mean you’re not gonna get me a card to finally profess your love to me?”

“Fuck off,” Mickey muttered, but he couldn’t help cracking a smile in answer to Ian’s words. “Seriously though,” he said after a moment. “What do you want?”

Ian frowned. “That’s not how it works. I can’t just tell you want to do…”

“Why the fuck not?” he wondered. Everyone’s life would be a lot easier if they could just be frank with each other.

“Because then it’s not romantic,” Ian explained.

“You _do_ know who you’re dating, don’t you?” Mickey sneered, and they both laughed again.

“I don’t really _want_ anything,” Ian began. Mickey looked at him with a raised eyebrow, calling him on his bullshit. “I mean, I dunno…” Ian amended. “I guess I just want you to do something instead of ignoring it. It doesn’t have to be expensive or cheesy or anything like that, as long as it’s _something_. Know what I mean?”

Mickey shook his head. “No, I have no fucking idea what you mean, Gallagher.”

Ian chuckled to himself. “Don’t worry. I know not to expect much. It's not really possible for you to disappoint me,” he teased, causing Mickey to bristle. "Plus, no one's forcing you to pay full price for anything. They jack up their prices way too much; a little five finger discount isn't gonna break their bank.”

When they went to bed that night, Mickey still had no clue what the hell to get Ian. There were only a couple of days left until the fourteenth.

Mickey spent all of the following day worrying about it. He considered getting Ian a thoughtful gift or a practical one instead of a stereotypical one, but ultimately had no good ideas.

On Valentine's Day morning, he was woken up by his boyfriend pushing a lap tray onto the bed. Ian made eggs, bacon and even pancakes and brought him breakfast in bed. There was even juice and coffee the way he liked it.

Mickey sat up carefully so as not to spill anything. “‘Morning,” he croaked.

“I know it’s not a real gift or anything, but it’s something different for a special occasion, y’know?” Ian told him, looking embarrassed.

“Yeah,” Mickey said with a smile. “I hope you made something for yourself, because I’m not sharing…”

Ian snorted and went back to the kitchen, presumably to get his own plate of breakfast. Mickey used the time to carefully reach under the bed and put the gift he’d gotten onto Ian’s pillow.

When the redhead returned, he stopped in the doorway. “You didn’t!” he practically gasped.

It was Mickey’s turn to blush as he watched Ian put the plate down onto the dresser and rush over to the opposite side of the bed to retrieve his gift.

Mickey had gone to the card store with the intention of buying the least corny, most plutonic card he could find, but had seen a bunch of stuffed animals on one of the shelves. They’d all been holding hearts that said “BE MINE” on them, and had reminded him of those conversation hearts that Mandy had been obsessed with as a kid. He’d picked out the brown teddy bear for Ian.

“You got me a teddy bear? Seriously?” Ian asked him, grinning. “I was sure you’d come up with some excuse to get out of buying anything,” he confessed.

“Yeah, I was sure I would too,” Mickey admitted with a grin before shoving a piece of bacon into his mouth. “Mmm, this is really good,” he said, licking his thumb.

“I put brown sugar on them; I know you like things sweet,” Ian told him. “Now hurry up and finish eating so I can give you the second part of your gift.”

“There’s more?” Mickey asked, eyebrows raised.

“Yep,” Ian said with a small nod. “I’ll give you a hint: it involves _me_ eating something.” He winked at Mickey, and the brunet couldn’t shove the bacon into his mouth fast enough. Maybe Valentine’s Day wasn’t as horrible a holiday as he thought it was…


End file.
